The countdown to the holiday season is underway and it is almost time to start thinking about the gifts we are going to get our loved ones. Christmas shopping can be a real headache for some of us, so if you do not want to spend the next few days in various stores all around the coast, we have compiled a list of activities that should appeal to everybody. So without any further delay, here is your round-up for this week.

The C'est Pas Classique classical music festival is in full swing this weekend in Nice. Running until Sunday evening, there will be free concerts which include everything from chamber music and opera to workshops and piano recitals, taking place across the city. Among the guests of honour this year, do not miss Barbara Hendricks and the Michael Nyman Band who will both perform Saturday night at the Acropolis.

Over in Monaco, the Monte-Carlo Jazz festival is offering a prestigious programme that includes Michel Portal and Aldo Romano tonight (Friday) and Tigran Hamasyan Trio and Avishai Cohen on Saturday.

Meanwhile in Cannes, dance afficionados can enjoy new talent and contemporary movements with an international flavour at the Palais des festivals et des congrès. The Cannes Dance Festival which runs until Sunday is one of the major dance events in France. The theme of this year's edition is New Mythologies.

The 16th Monte Carlo Gastronomie festival is opening its gates today in Espace Fontvieille. For an entrance fee of just €5, hundreds of stands will be offering a taste of the finest foods and wines for you to try such as foie gras, caviar, smoked salmon and truffles. The festival runs until Monday.

If you want to learn how to make Scallop Sashimi, Chicken Teriyaki or Miso Soup, then join other food aficionados this Monday at 6:30pm at the newly open restaurant 'La Cave de Max' in Cap d'Ail for an easy traditional Japanese cooking lesson. After a 2 hour step-by-step demonstration by Chef David Holis of Foodies Cooking, you will get to eat the dishes you have prepared.

In Nice, the exhibition entitled Diamonds in the Dark featuring Australian artist Mesha Sendyk's contemplative works held at Galerie Oscar is coming to an end tomorrow.

On the other hand, you still have plenty of time to see the temporary exhibition dedicated to Jean Sabrier, a Bordeaux based artist, who gives new perspectives to paintings through art history. Held in the brand new Jean Cocteau Museum in Menton, it will also gives you the opportunity to admire more than 2,000 works from the multi-talented Cocteau.

On the sporting front, Nice hosts the Henri Deglane International Wrestling Challenge, running until tomorrow. This international tournament brings together the world's best wrestlers from some twenty countries.

Meanwhile, AS Monaco will host Nantes tonight at 8pm while OGC Nice will play at Lens at 5pm on Sunday.

That's it for this week. Enjoy the last few days of November and as usual, do not forget to keep checking our Facebook page for your daily slice of Riviera life.

Lead image © Adbusters

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